Walk into Rita O’Brien Interiors at the Michigan Design Center during the holidays and it’s difficult to know where to look first.
The showroom glows with hundreds of tiny Italian cordless lamps, layered among richly upholstered furniture, artwork, accessories and holiday décor. Rita O’Brien and her daughter, Colleen O’Brien-Seitz, have been creating their elaborate holiday display for about five years. Customers now look forward to the transformation.
“People come into our showroom to explore all of our designed vignettes,” Rita says. “Customers often share with us that they specifically come here because of how warm our design is and how cozy it makes them feel."
And often, looking turns into shopping. A visitor might discover an accessory, a piece of local art or a sofa, then return months or even years later, ready for Rita and Colleen to design an entire home.
That seems fitting because Rita’s own career began with someone taking a chance.
Sixteen years ago, she was into her fourth successful entrepreneurial career as a realtor. She had always loved design and imagined pursuing it “one of these days.” When her mother-in-law, with whom she was very close, left her a small monetary gift, Rita decided the time had come.
“My daughters were living in Chicago, so I worked with a marketing firm there to create my brand and then launched my interior design business from my basement here in Birmingham.”
Her first project came almost immediately: the design of an entire Chicago brownstone. Rita educated herself at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart and eventually arrived at the Michigan Design Center in Troy, her home for the past 15 years.
Today, Rita O’Brien Interiors has grown into two showroom spaces and a residential design business whose clients stretch from Metro Detroit to Northern Michigan, Chicago and even the Sunshine State. As a Rowe Furniture dealer, the showrooms also offer access to the full collection, with fabrics, finishes and furniture available right on site.
One project Rita remains especially proud of was a three-year undertaking on Lake Leelanau, where she and her team helped transform a large home from the ground up, designing floor plans and renderings, dictating placement of staircases and fireplaces. Selecting everything from tile, lighting, wallpaper, furnishings, accessories, linens and even holiday décor.
“We truly made every decision,” Rita says. “When they saw it for the first time, it was completely turnkey for them. We’re very proud of that house.”
Rita is just as enthusiastic about smaller projects, including a recent two-bedroom condo she describes as a “little dollhouse,” where black lacquered doors, pinks, greens and feminine wallpapers completely transformed the space.
“The best reaction is when someone says, ‘I never dreamed my house could look like this,’” she says. “That’s what makes you happy, seeing your client ecstatic.”
Her philosophy for designing living spaces remains surprisingly simple.
“We want you to feel cozy and comfortable and relaxed,” Rita says. “We always tell people, this is your home. We’re going to tell you what we think, but it has to feel like home to you.”
Perhaps the most unexpected chapter of Rita’s story arrived six years ago: Her daughter, Colleen.
Colleen never planned to become an interior designer. She earned her master’s degree and worked on Loyola University Medical Center’s liver transplant social team as Lead Social Worker in Chicago before returning to Michigan. She started helping Rita and found herself in a new career and partnership.
Today, Colleen handles everything from drawings and renderings to clients and showroom operations, bringing a new generation and new perspective to the business.
“Now she’s all the designer I am and more,” Rita says. “We’re just so blessed. We read each other and our clients so well.”
Colleen describes it even more simply.
“She’s my best friend and my mom and my partner,” she says. “I never in a million years thought I’d be here, an interior designer. But here I am.”
For a business devoted to beautiful surroundings, that may be the most beautiful part of the story.
This November, as the showroom once again becomes a holiday wonderland and familiar customers stop in for the experience, Rita has much to be thankful for: a business built from scratch, clients who became friends, rooms that became homes and, beside her, a daughter who unexpectedly became her partner.
Sometimes the best design is the life you never quite planned.
ritaobrien.com | @ritaobrieninteriors
1700 Stutz Drive, Suite 111, Troy | (248) 828-5950
Step Into the Holiday Magic
Want to experience Rita and Colleen’s holiday style for yourself? Visit their Michigan Design Center suite during Gather on Friday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to shop their holiday wonderland in full swing. They’ll also participate in the Design Center’s Merry Market – A Holiday Sip & Shop Thursday, Nov. 19, noon to 4 p.m.
The best reaction is when someone says, ‘I never dreamed my house could look like this.'